Supporting Face-to-face Group Activities with a Sensor-Embedded Board

This paper describes a system called ePro for supporting face-to-face group activities . ePro connects a sensorembedded board and a computer simulation, and is currently used to discuss urban planning and environmental problems. Group members collaboratively construct a town by placing pieces such as houses on the board. The computer simulation program automatically recognizes the arrangement of pieces on the board. It then visualizes environmental changes of the town through simulations. The visualization shown to the group members amplifies interaction between them, and gives them feedback for their further actions.